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There are 33 years between Steven Reid and Roy Hodgson but the former says the Crystal Palace boss is 'still the most enthusiastic person that I’ve met in the game'.

The ex-Blackburn Rovers defender was asked to join the Palace backroom team by the Eagles boss to diversify the age range of his staff.

Since joining the club Reid has been continually impressed by Hodgson's knowledge.

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: Willian of Chelsea is tackled Steven Reid of West Brom during the Barclays Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea at The Hawthorns on February 11, 2014 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

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He said in an interview with the Guardian: "Roy wanted a young coach alongside him and it all just seems to fit perfectly. We have chats about all sorts of things. A lot of what he says goes over my head because he’s reading books and watching films that I’ve never heard of.

"We had a discussion last week about the languages he can speak – he learned French at school and then picked up Swedish early on in his career. A bit of German, Italian … and he makes it sound so easy: ‘Three or four months and I’ve got it.’

"We have a good bit of banter because of my age and the gaffer’s age. We can give each other a bit of stick. Often the perception with people who have not worked with him is massively different to the man that he is: still the most enthusiastic person that I’ve met in the game."

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At 37 Reid's age is comparable to some of the playing squad, and he's even younger than the likes of Julian Speroni but that has allowed him to find a role as a go-between for the players and management. Would he like a more front-line job in the future?

"There comes a point where you have to be firm with the players and tell the truth," he said, "At the moment there’s no time frame for the future – I know I’m lucky enough to be in this position now. If you look too far ahead you can come unstuck.

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"You’re talking about 92 league clubs, so that means 92 assistants and probably half that for first-team coaches. It’s a difficult position to get into but I like to pride myself on doing things right, like I did when I was a player.”